Third District Court of Appeal in Florida Upholds Red-Light Camera Law

MESA, Ariz., July 27, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- American Traffic Solutions (ATS) welcomes the decision issued today by the Third District Court of Appeal in Jimenez v. State. In Jimenez, the court concluded that Red-Light Safety Camera programs are legal under Florida law.  In its ruling, the court added, "The officer's review and determination in this regard are far from a mere rubber stamp."

Jimenez comes after the court undertook a comprehensive review of ATS's involvement in the Red-light Safety Camera process, including its role in pre-sorting camera information, printing and mailing notice of violations and citations on behalf of law enforcement, and transmitting violation information to the clerks of court.   

Armed with the full set of facts concerning ATS's role, the court concluded that none of the activities that ATS undertakes as part of its Red-light Safety Camera program involves the delegation of a police power. Aventura's law enforcement retains the sole authority to determine who has violated the law and should be cited for it.  ATS merely provides ministerial services in carrying out law enforcement decisions. 

The Jimenez decision stands in stark contrast to the decision issued by the Fourth District Court of Appeal in 2014 in Arem v. City of Hollywood, which, based on an incomplete record concerning ATS's role in that city's program, concluded that Hollywood had improperly delegated police power to ATS.  

"We were confident that when a court had the opportunity to review the full set of facts concerning Red-light Safety Camera programs and the role that it plays, it would reach the conclusion outlined in Jimenez today," said Rebecca Collins, ATS General Counsel.    

Red-light Safety Cameras are a proven safety tool. Independent studies show cameras help reduce dangerous red-light running crashes, which nearly always involve innocent people entering the intersection on the green light only to be hit by the crossing offender.

Florida routinely finishes in the top three states for red-light running crash fatalities, according to the National Center for Statistics and Analysis, a branch of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

To view the ruling, click here: http://www.3dca.flcourts.org/Opinions/3D15-2303.rh.pdf

About American Traffic Solutions:
ATS is proud to be the market leader in road safety camera installations in North America. ATS has more than 3,200 installed red-light, speed safety cameras and school bus stop arm cameras serving more than 30 million people. ATS Fleet Services is a leader in providing both Toll and Violation Management Solutions to fleets and rental customers saving them time and money. For more information, please visit: www.atsol.com.  ATS can also be found on Twitter, @ATS_Roadsafety; Facebook, ATSolutions; and YouTube, ATSROADSAFETY.

Contact: Charles Territo
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SOURCE American Traffic Solutions

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